A Dance That Speaks

After a chance meeting, a man and a woman stroll through Seoul’s changing streets.

Miso lives from day to day by housekeeping. Cigarettes and whiskey are the two things that get her through the day. As cigarette prices and rent start to rise, Miso decides to give up her house for cigarettes and whiskey, leading her to couch surf with old friends while reconsidering her place in life.

Three friends, who majored in filmmaking in college together, decide to meet at a restaurant they used to frequent in front of their school. However, one of them doesn’t show up, while another friend, who happens to see the others, decides to join instead. There clearly is the air of discomfort around them, though.

Yejin and Haeri are the best friends in their class. But when Haeri starts writing a secret diary with friends from another class, a subtle crack begins to form in their relationship. Yejin feels hurt by the way Haeri keeps the diary from her and grows anxious, wondering if their shared secrets might have been written inside.

Dear you, unrelated is a contemporary project that dares to believe in the potential of fiction. Directors Lee Mi-rang and Lee Jong-su attempt to imaginatively restore the lost ending of The Widow. In The Widow: Rewoven, Lee Mi-rang reimagines the protagonist Shinja making a radically different decision from the original. Her film captures the inner turmoil and determination of a woman once dismissed as an Après-girl, tracing her hesitant yet resolute steps toward a new path. In Bearer of Dawn, Lee Jong-su presents a fictional scenario in which Shinja seeks revenge by finding a blacksmith. A newly added sequence in which she chooses a sword shifts the film's tone from drama into one infused with the suspense of a thriller.

Seoul Cinema will be closing down soon. The last screened film, The Widow, shows scenes that depict what Seoul looked like long ago. After watching it, I walk along the same streets shown in the film. The famous statue of General Yi Sun-shin, which was said to have been moved, is still in the same location. I feel like I’ve already walked this road with someone else before. While a lot of things change, something of the past always remains. I decide to fall in love with these remnants.

A man heading for an appointment bumps into his old friend on the street. Coincidental encounter, trivial conversation, and subtle air. They walk together on Jongno Street for a while. They then head their own directions during a rain shower; however, another encountering awaits when the rain stops.